The
professional body for psychiatrists has conceded that antidepressant
pills such as Prozac may only have a 50% success rate in treating
depression.

The
Royal College of Psychiatrists, which represents around 10,000
psychiatrists, has withdrawn previous advice that said "six
or seven in every 10 depressed people will get better on antidepressants".

Based
on the most recent research, new draft advice seen by SocietyGuardian.co.uk
says that between only 50% and 65% "will be much improved"
if they take antidepressants.

For
the first time, the new advice also concedes that herbal remedies
made from the flower St Johns wort are "about as effective
as antidepressants in milder depression".

The
latest research, which the RCP stresses has not yet been finalised,
is expected to be available next month.

The
college's old advice said that antidepressants are not addictive.
"There is no evidence that antidepressant drugs caused dependence
syndromes," it said.

The
new study acknowledges that there is a debate on the subject and
points out that "up to a third of people experience withdrawal".

It
says withdrawal "seems to be greatest" with Seroxat,
the biggest selling antidepressant in the UK which, like Prozac,
works by boosting the levels of the brain chemical serotonin.

Withdrawal
symptoms included nausea, flue like symptoms, anxiety and sweating.

In
the last few years, prescriptions for antidepressants have more
than doubled in England, from 9m in 1991 to 22m in 2000, due largely
to the increase of drugs such as Seroxat and Prozac, known technically
as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs.

One
of the reasons for this sharp uptake was the view that SSRI were
effective and relatively problem free, a view brought into question
by the RCP's new advice.

The
study comes after a report by Health Which? claiming that official
advice on antidepressants was misleading.

Health
Which? also pointed out that recent research suggests a link between
suicide and SSRI.

The
draft RCP guidelines claim that "suicidal thoughts will pass
once the depression starts to lift".